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Sebastian Benda

The pianist and composer Sebastian Benda attracted much attention from Arthur Honegger, Frank Martin, Hermann Scherchen and Edwin Fischer as a child prodigy . He became Edwin Fischer's disciple who invited him as a soloist for the Bach and Mozart piano concerti cycles conducted by Fischer himself. In London, together with Jorg Demus and Daniel Barenboim, Benda was awarded the "Bach Medal" by the Harriet Cohen Foundation. He has toured in recitals and as a soloist of major symphonic orchestras in over 40 countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Frank Martin invited him to record under his baton his "Ballade for piano and orchestra" for the American Vox company. Following this line of collaboration, Benda's forthcoming recordings will include the complete works for piano solo by Frank Martin. With his ensemble "The Benda Musicians" he has recorded the Schumann and Brahms Quintets and Quartets, and, with his son Christian Benda, the complete works for violoncello and piano by Bohuslav Martinu as well as the Sonatas for violoncello by Boccherini for which he reconstructed the realization of the bass line for the fortepiano. Benda teaches master classes at the Royal Academy of Music in London, the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris, the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels, in Copenhagen, Jerusalem, Tokyo, Honolulu, and participates as jury member of international piano competitions such as Vienna's Beethoven competition, the ARD competition in Munich, the Geneva competition, the Georges Enescu competition in Bucarest. In 1981, in Austria, he was

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Discography

BACH, J.S.: Musical Offering, BWV 1079	BOCCHERINI: Cello Sonatas	BRAHMS, J.: Clarinet Music (Complete) (Benda)
MARTINU: Works for Cello and Piano, Vol. 1	MARTINU: Works for Cello and Piano, Vol. 2